By Qudsia Bano

Pakistan’s renewed livestock genetics cooperation with China is creating fresh opportunities for dairy-linked exports, as Islamabad seeks to position elite buffalo embryos, indigenous dairy breeds and biotechnology-based breeding services as new tradable assets under the broader agricultural partnership between the two countries.

The latest development came on May 14, 2026, when Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain chaired a meeting with a Chinese delegation focused on buffalo embryo exports, genetic resource development and the promotion of Pakistan’s high-value dairy breeds in international markets.

The meeting was attended by ministry officials, representatives of the Animal Quarantine Department, technical experts and Chinese companies involved in livestock breeding and biotechnology cooperation.

According to the Press Information Department, the Chinese side expressed interest in Pakistan’s internationally recognised buffalo breeds and in expanding collaboration in animal genetics and embryo transfer technologies.

The meeting also discussed a Material Transfer Agreement to facilitate cooperation while safeguarding Pakistan’s ownership rights over its genetic resources.

The opportunity is supported by the size and importance of Pakistan’s livestock sector. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25, agriculture contributed 23.5% to GDP and employed more than 37% of the labour force, while livestock expanded by 4.72% in FY2025, emerging as the main driver of agricultural growth during a year when the crop sector contracted.

Pakistan’s cattle population reached 59.7 million and buffalo population 47.7 million during FY2024-25, according to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research data cited in the Economic Survey.

The same official data showed gross milk production reached 72.34 million tonnes in FY2025, reflecting an increase of 3.2% over the previous year. Buffalo milk accounted for 43.13 million tonnes, while cow milk contributed 27.08 million tonnes.

These figures provide Pakistan with a strong foundation for developing genetics-led dairy trade rather than relying solely on raw milk or traditional dairy products.

The Economic Survey further noted that livestock contributes around 2.9% to Pakistan’s total exports through meat, live animals and animal-based products, indicating that genetic material could emerge as a specialised addition to the country’s livestock export basket if quarantine, traceability and certification systems continue strengthening.

China also remains an important market because of the scale and ongoing modernisation of its dairy sector. China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported milk output of 40.91 million tonnes in 2025, up 0.3% from 2024, while the country’s agriculture ministry said first-quarter milk production in 2025 stood at 8.92 million tonnes, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 1.7% despite supply-demand imbalances in beef and milk markets.

The livestock genetics discussions also follow the Pakistan-China Agriculture Investment Conference held on January 19, 2026, where 79 memorandums of understanding worth around $4.5 billion were announced between Pakistani and Chinese companies in the agriculture and food-related sectors.

The government said the conference was designed around direct business-to-business matchmaking and targeted sector-specific engagement.

Industry representatives believe improving productivity rather than simply expanding livestock numbers will remain critical for long-term growth.

Speaking with Wealth Pakistan, Muhammad Usman, Breeding Services Manager at Cloud Agri Pakistan, said the country’s strongest opportunity lies in combining indigenous buffalo genetics with modern reproductive technologies.

Cloud Agri Pakistan works in dairy feeding, breeding, artificial insemination, cow genetics and herd management solutions within Pakistan’s dairy sector.

He said embryo transfer could create export value without physically moving large numbers of animals, although Pakistan would need internationally accepted disease-screening systems, reliable farm records and proper breed registration mechanisms.

According to him, Chinese interest should encourage local farms to maintain stronger genetic records because buyers of embryos and semen would seek verified productivity data, health records and parentage information before entering long-term commercial agreements.

Muhammad Irfan, Principal Officer at the Animal Science Division (ASD), National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), said the long-term benefit for farmers would depend on whether cooperation extends beyond embryo exports to include capacity building at the farm level.

He said areas such as data management, feed optimisation and reproductive efficiency would remain important for improving livestock productivity.

He also stressed the need to protect indigenous genetic resources such as Neeli Ravi and Sahiwal breeds through transparent agreements, while allowing credible private farms and research institutions to participate in China-linked breeding initiatives.

Credit: INP-WealthPk